much?" said Jones, who beyond ten shillings to a game-keeper never paid
sixpence for whatever shooting came in his way.

"I don't know what you call much," said Augustus, "but I think it may be
done for three or four hundred a year. I should like to calculate how
many thousand partridges at that rate Sir William has taken back in his
pocket."

"What does it matter?" asked Miss Scarborough.

"Only as a speculation. Of course my father, while he lives, is
justified in giving his whole income to doctors if he likes it; but one
gets into a manner of speaking about him as though he had done a good
deal with his money in which he was not justified."

"Don't talk in that way, Augustus."

"My dear aunt, I am not at all inclined to be more open-mouthed than he
is. Only reflect what it was that he was disposed to do with me, and
the good-humor with which I have borne it!"

"I think I should hold my tongue about it," said Harry Annesley.

"And I think that in my place you would do no such thing. To your nature
it would be almost impossible to hold your tongue. Your sense of justice
would be so affronted that you would feel yourself compelled to discuss
the injury done to you with all your intimate friends. But with your
father your quarrel would be eternal. I made nothing of it, and, indeed,
if he pertinaciously held his tongue on the subject, so should I."